Most motorized vehicles have monitoring systems for alerting the operator that something has, or is about to go wrong with normal operation of that vehicle. The warning comes either from the visual inspection of gauges, or from flashing lights. Some of the common problems include low oil, engine over heated, battery malfunction, or low brake pressure.
It would be advantageous if the operator had the warnings prior to damage to the vehicle. As no method can predict the future, the best course of action is preventive maintenance. If the operator practiced regular preventive maintenance to the vehicle at hand, the life span of that particular vehicle could be extended indefinitely. Indeed, one could save a major expense by averting costly repairs.
The problem is, when to do what to where. Those skilled in the art would have no problem working out a preventive maintenance schedule. However, the average vehicle owner has difficulty figuring out problems after they have occurred let alone before they happen.
A main object of the present invention therefore is to provide an audio/visual means to alert the operator that it is time to perform a certain preventive maintenance task.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an alert that can be installed as original equipment or as an aftermarket retro-fit.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a preventive maintenance alert which can be installed either in the dash, under the dash, or over the dash.
It is the final object of the present invention to provide such an alert whose signals are based on the complete time the vehicle is running at an idle instead of the vehicle odometer. This would apply to all vehicles that do not have an odometer as original equipment.